Letter: Don't cut Thanksgiving celebration short

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. No presents are expected, so there is no pressure or extra cost there. It is not a religious holiday, so it does not "offend" any group. Independence Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day are OK, but they just don't elicit the same feeling. Thanksgiving projects such a positivity, and it was the one holiday that I felt brought together everyone across the country, each giving thanks for our many blessings. And, until recent years, most businesses were closed so that families could be together on that day.

But now that is gone. For some reason, retailers feel the need to keep moving back the beginning of Black Friday so that it's actually turned Thanksgiving into Black Thursday. Do retailers really get that many more people shopping at those ridiculous hours than they did when they opened at 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. on Friday? I realize they want to sell, sell, sell to make Christmas "meaningful" for all those who rate that holiday on the basis of gifts given and received. But if those sales are not made in the hours of Thanksgiving, do retailers really believe the consumers will not buy them the next day?

Who is hurt? Families of those who have to work at the retailers are hurt. The celebration of giving thanks has to be cut short or moved to another day (which really doesn't feel the same, even if the thanks is given). Families of those who are obsessed with shopping those sales are hurt as those individuals either leave celebrations early in order to nap before heading out (or who may already be camped out in line).

I, for one, will not be shopping at those ridiculous hours. Instead, I will be attempting to kid myself into believing that it is Thanksgiving Day and that people across the country are spending time giving thanks for all of our blessings.

Susan Stein

Wisconsin Rapids

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Letter: Don't cut Thanksgiving celebration short

I feel cheated. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. No presents are expected, so there is no pressure or extra cost there. It is not a religious holiday, so it does not 'offend' any

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